Towheeblog

This crytic fellow down in the grass was not easy to get in focus. An American Pipit at Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge where they winter.

In rapid succession I saw two alpha predators aloft. First a Peregrine came over, followed in time (not space) by a Golden Eagle. Each of them sent thousands of ducks and geese into the air.

Golden Eagle:

Greater White-fronted Geese, mostly, above. In flight, below.

This mass of round-topped brown things? It is a sleeping flock of tightly packed Long-billed Dowitchers. I estimated about 3000. Also White-fronted and Snow Geese in the water around them. There were also Dunlin and Black-necked Stilts feeding nearby in lesser numbers.


Northern Shoveler among the thousands of dabblers, dominated by Pintails and Gadwall, in addition to the Shovelers.

Sacramento NWR, Glenn, US-CA
Nov 16, 2013 10:00 AM
Protocol: Incidental
38 species

Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons) 9000
Snow Goose (Chen caerulescens) 60000
Ross’s Goose (Chen rossii) 500
Gadwall (Anas strepera) 900
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 75
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 400
Cinnamon Teal (Anas cyanoptera) 6
Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata) 3500
Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) 12000
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 15
Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) 300
Bufflehead (Bucephala albeola) 12
Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus) 1
Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis) 50
Pied-billed Grebe (Podilymbus podiceps) 2
Eared Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis) 4
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Great Egret (Ardea alba) 3
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) 1
Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) 8
Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) 1
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) 3
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 4
American Coot (Fulica americana) 3400
Black-necked Stilt (Himantopus mexicanus) 120
Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 300
Long-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus scolopaceus) 3000 photo on my blog: https://atowhee.wordpress.com/2013/11/17/valley-gallery-sacramento/
Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) 4
Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus) 1
Black Phoebe (Sayornis nigricans) 6
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 3
American Pipit (Anthus rubescens) 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 4
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) 4
Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia) 2
White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) 10
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 500
Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) 7